AU Adhoc Committee to examine election of Chairperson

Accra, Ghana (PANA) -The African Union (AU) Adhoc Committee of Heads of State and Government would meet on Monday in Cotonou, Benin, to examine the election of the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and members of the AU Commission.

This was contained in a communiqué read at the end of a one-day visit to Ghana on Friday of Benin President and the Chairman of AU, Thomas Yayi Boni.

“The two Presidents acknowledged that it is important to find an appropriate conclusion to this important issue so as not to discredit the continental organisation but rather put it on a sound and firm footing to adequately address the numerous challenges facing the continent," the communiqué said.

The 18th African Union summit last January in Addis Ababa failed to elect a Chairperson of the Commission.

Neither the incumbent, Jean Ping of Gabon who had served as AU Commission chairman since 2008, nor his challenger Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa secured enough votes to win.

The election of the Commission Chairperson was postponed to the next meeting of the AU in July.

The communique said President Boni and his host, President John Evans Atta Mills acknowledged the current security challenges that the West African sub-region was grappling with and indicated that the situation called for closer collaboration between West African states to address the challenges.

The two presidents condemned the military insurgency in the north of Mali and Guinea Bissau and declaration of independence of the north of Mali, and called on the rebel forces in the north of Mali to come to the negotiation table to address of their grievances, while they pledged their support for the deployment of Economic Communityof West Afrian States (ECOWAS) Standby Force to help contain the security challenges in the two countries.

The two leaders welcomed the invitation extended to them by US President Barack Obama to participate in the upcoming G8 Summit in Camp David, US, and described it as recognition of the significance of Africa to global politics.

They expressed their resolve to co-ordinate their participation and speak with one voice effectively to pursue the interests of the continent at the summit.
-0- PANA MA 11May2012